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  • 20 hours ago
Schools continue to experience major issues including vaping, marijuana use and violence.

This is while a multi-stakeholder approach conceptualised to proactively treat with the situation is being rolled out.

Form 1 students at Bishops Anstey High in Port of Spain, and Tranquility Secondary were engaged in what is the third initiative of its kind.

Media were not allowed to record the event, but we were allowed insight from members of the team subsequently.

Alicia Boucher has the details.
Transcript
00:00Instead of visiting Tranquility Secondary School, the Special Psychosocial Intervention and Education Engagement Team merged the visit at Bishop's Anstey
00:10High School to include Tranquility students.
00:13About two weeks ago, Alderman Wayne Griffith was beaten by a group of Tranquility students as he tried to break
00:19up a fight.
00:20Director of Policy and Community Support in the Ministry of Homeland Security Zaheer Ali says the program hinges on prevention
00:27and after the incident involving Tranquility students, it was felt that the intervention was needed.
00:34But to really educate these children to understand that that engagement may not have been the most appropriate response and
00:40for those who may be thinking or similarly inclined to be able to bring that to an end.
00:46Last but not least, a very key inclusion in the response that we are making, the inclusion of the prison
00:52service.
00:53The former students of both schools were able to hear the unedited experiences of two inmates.
00:58One of them was jailed for murder when he was age 14.
01:02Among his regrets, the loss of his brother.
01:05Gunmen came for him, but his brother paid the price in his absence.
01:10And today I must say in the engagement and prayer that we have seen that attention.
01:15They were drawn to the story.
01:17Ali says vulnerability can be due to a number of reasons.
01:20No parenting, bad parenting and gang and other negative activities in communities, placing strain on the minds of children who
01:28are then acting out.
01:29We have received intelligence reports about issues of vaping.
01:33Very serious matter.
01:35We have received situations where their children are exposed to a dangerous drug, cannabis.
01:39Our school is in a crisis and our nation is in a crisis.
01:43Just yesterday we met with some principals and the principal would have stated 31 parents would have, teachers would have
01:49stayed home last week because she was, they were afraid and they were frustrated with the form one students.
01:55They are viewed by the team as a sensitive group having to transition from primary to secondary school, merging cultures.
02:02And psychiatrist Dr. Varma de Altsing adds another dimension.
02:07In teenage years you have the surge of hormones coming in, the testosterone, and these hormones will sometimes have these
02:15kids now behaving in manners like more aggressive, more, you know, understand their feelings.
02:20With the psychosocial expertise on the team, these elements are being explained to the students and they are also being
02:27presented with various ways in treating with those feelings, such as breathing techniques, how to address conflict with their parents,
02:35and how to socialize with their peers.
02:37President of the TNT Association of Psychologists, Victoria Sirinarayan Jilal Singh, states that poor behavior among students usually points to
02:46a lack of resources in the system.
02:48She outlines that identifying those gaps is crucial.
02:52One of the things that we've heard from many students in multiple areas is that they don't feel good.
03:00They're not feeling as though their parents and their teachers are listening to them.
03:05And by extension, I will go so far to say that they probably don't feel as though their nation is
03:10listening to them.
03:11The psychologist points out that adults are responsible for caring for children, and it is important that they are able
03:19to regulate themselves and acknowledge their shortcomings, as this will set examples for children.
03:25Former West Indies Women's Captain Marissa Aguilera-Fraser calls her parents her role models.
03:32Because whenever I had a question, my mother was there, my dad was there to give her advice.
03:38We're told that principals are now requesting the team in their schools.
03:42This program is being paid with a national parenting seminar to foster better results.
03:49Alicia Boucher, TV6 News.
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